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You saw my bank account. What’s 5 grand gonna do?

SPITFIRE

Right.

Have you laughed today?

SPITFIRE

What?

I know this is hard for you. I hate thinking about you alone inside your head again, so I wanna know if you’ve laughed today.

SPITFIRE

No. I don’t think so.

I’m in Oregon, a couple hours’ drive from the coast by a little town called Sweet Hill, and on my way here, I drove by an Italian restaurant, and their outdoor sign said: Why did the tomato blush?

SPITFIRE

What? Why?

Because it saw the salad dressing! ;)

She started to type out her reply. Three little dots hovered over where her text would appear, but then they disappeared and my phone rang. A picture of Aubrey’s beautiful face popped onto my screen, and I answered faster than I ever had before in my life.

In a quiet voice, she said, “I thought you said you didn’t want kids?”

“I don’t.” Confused, I asked, “Why?”

“Because that was a dad joke if I’ve ever heard one.”

I laughed out loud while she chuckled in my ear.

“Miss you, Spitfire.”

She sighed. “I miss you, too, but I feel silly missin’ you.”

“Why silly?”

“Because when you’re not here, it feels like the last month didn’t happen, like it was all a dream.”

It made me sad, thinking that in order for her to feel loved, she would have to be dreaming.

“It’s not a dream, baby. I’m real. The love I feel for you is real. Trust in that and do whatever you gotta to feel okay about lovin’ me too. I’ve waited a lifetime for you. A few more days won’t kill me, but you can’t have one foot in and one foot out the door.”

I heard her breathing, but she didn’t say anything more.

“Will I see you Sunday?”

“Rye.”

No. No maybes today.

“I’ll see you Sunday,” I said, and I hung up.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN